Monday, January 18, 2010

Sam's Pizza - Springfield

Mama Mia! Sam's PizzaI've lived and worked in the Springfield area for 10 years and the other Friday night was my first time ever sampling Sam's Pizza. I've driven past the pizzaria on North Grand hundreds of times over those years and never stopped, much to my chagrin. Frankly, I can't think of a good reason why I hadn't tried Sam's yet. So on a guy's night out SpringfieldPizza.net rolled into Sam's Pizza.

Where they're located:731 N. Grand Ave. EastSpringfield, IL 62702

Call Em: 217-522-9111

The Pizza:1/2 Spinach and Bacon, 1/2 Cheese

Crust: Thin

The Dish: This is an old style pizzaria type restaurant that reminded me of some pizza joints my family would frequent in the St. Louis area. There are photos of local celebrities and politicians adorning the walls as well as some distinctly Italian accoutrements that keep the Italian theme but also give Sam's its unique local feel. There appeared to be plenty of regulars as several people carried on conversations between tables and the carry out window was hoppin!!! This place does a fantastic carryout business, which is no surprise.Our server was very friendly and helpful although the other person in my party was disappointed to hear they were out of milk that evening. They had plenty of Budweiser which was just fine with me.After enjoying a nice basket of bosco sticks (cheese filled breadsticks) with marinara dipping sauce, our pie arrived. Personally, I don't think there is much out there more appetizing than a fresh, hot pizza brought to the table straight from the oven. This pizza was no exception. It was delivered to our table with steam from the oven still rising up off of the gooey delicious cheese. It sure looked good... but how would it taste?

How'd did eat?: Let's cut to the chase. The pizza was magnificent!!! I had to pinch myself as I enjoyed the first couple of slices of spinach and bacon pizza and washed it down with a swig of the King of Beers. It was that good. While all aspects of this pizza were outstanding, the topping were especially good. Spinach, which is a strong ingredient was used in just the right amount and the crumbled bacon hid well in the molten goodness of mozzarella until I sunk my teeth into it to release the flavor.The thing that really made this pizza go was the outstanding crust. It was crispy and crunchy and added the perfect texture and taste to go with the wonderful toppings. There is absolutely no doubt that Sam's Pizza on North Grand has the best crust in town. That includes restaurants that I have already reviewed and ones I've frequented before and not reviewed. Right now this pizza is at the top of my Springfield list. Definitely worth the stop.I can't believe I have never eaten this pizza before.

We plan to add to this list and will also add reviews as they are completed and will keep a running list of the rankings. If you have a suggestion or would like to submit a review to the Springfield Pizza Project please email us. springfieldpizzaproject@gmail.com

About the SPP Rankings

About the Springfield Pizza Project Rankings

•10 - A perfect pizza, one that cannot be bettered in any way•8 - An excellent mix of quality ingredients and flavors; I would gladly eat this pizza regularly•6 - A good pizza, perhaps very good in some respects, but only average in others (often found in pies with good toppings, but flavorless crusts)•4 - Tolerable if no other options are around and I am really hungry•2 - Pizza by definition only (has all the "right" ingredients and is cooked in an oven, but has no redeeming features)•0 - Cannot finish a slice